FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Despite all the innovations in the commercial lighted message ideas and devices, none have penetrated the personal and festive season home message markets because they are: too fixed in form; too formal in appearance; too inflexible for creativity; too complex to assemble; too commercial to be cheerful; and too costly to afford.
I have spent more than 30 years of spare time experimenting with ideas and devices to resolve these problems. My first idea was a perforated flexible fibreglass panel about 8".times.72" which accommodated the use of Christmas light bulb strings with the bulbs placed through the perforations to form letters (in accordance with an instructional key) and held in place by the sockets on the other side of the panel. I had a search made in 1962 and was advised by a patent attorney that it was likely too similar to Canadian Patent No. 348021 issued to Van Lawrence Vendope in about 1934 so, although I had some panels made and shown to some manufacturers and potential buyers, I decided not to incur any more expense in patent application, production or marketing of that particular device even though it had merit with its economy in the use of bulbs and sockets, lightness and versatility, but there were basic problems: (1) too much unused messy wiring on the back of the panel (between the sockets on the light strings) partially resolved by using add on sockets but this required rewiring the sockets for every message change; (2) bulb breakage caused by too much stress from the panel and sockets, the weight of which was carried by the bulbs. I continued my interest and experimentation with solutions to all the basic problems associated with fixed frame devices and panels and decided that the solution is to "free the message from the frame" with a device which enables each consumer to assemble his own personal holiday message and change it at will, as to configuration, size, length and content all at an affordable price.
This invention, which epitomizes the solution, is a versatile user-assembly message maker device comprising, not a fixed board, panel or device, but rather an unique "do it yourself kit" of only two basic parts,(i.e. socket bars and socket bar hangers) each relatively simple in isolation, but both newly, ingeniously and usefully designed, fitted and harmonized together to create a device that will be the first such device to enable every consumer to afford, choose, create, change, and display his own personal holiday message in any size, length and configuration using low wattage light bulbs.
Novel simplicity serving complex creativity, this invention is comprised of a new rigid, single row socket bar attached in horizontal rows on vertical hangers by attachment pins on the back face of each bar to attachment holes in, and extending the full length of the vertical hangers, all of which are ingeniously designed and harmonized in an assembly kit to provide virtually unlimited choice in dimension and configuration to accommodate messages of any content, length and style desired by the user. "Simplicity and economy in the medium to serve the creativity and personality of the message":
Some of the specific capabilities of this invention to resolve the difficulties and shortcomings of previous devices are as follows:
Vertical spacing and positioning of the bars on the full length of the hangers for wide choice in letter size, line spacing, number of lines and design size, limited only by the height of hangers (which can be of any length); PA1 Horizontal positioning and offsetting of the bars on the hangers by means of attachment pins evenly spaced across the back face of the bars to accommodate either in line or offsetting the bars to provide the most efficient positioning of the bars and bulbs to form intelligible letters, words, messages and designs of any shape or size with the least number of bars and bulbs; PA1 Lateral rotation and movement of the bars on the hangers to accommodate jaunty message slant for the assembled message at any time by simply moving either end of the hangers to a forward or reverse position while the opposite end is secured, or by moving each vertically succeeding bar one attachment pin to the right or left of the bar above it; PA1 Horizontal extensions of socket bars permitting unlimited user choice and change in the length and content of the message; PA1 Lightness and portability for ease and convenience of carrying, installing, storing and marketing; PA1 Convenience in assembly (merely attach the bars to the hangers by selecting the proper two pins in each bar and insert in proper holes in each hanger and instal the bulbs in the bar sockets to make the chosen message) all of which can be performed indoors; PA1 Unlimited installation options made possible by the lightness and portability of the device (5 pounds or less for a 5 socket bar assembly of 7 watt bulbs forming a message e.g. approximately 7" high and 72" long) enables it to be easily carried, lifted, and affixed to, and supported by, any structure (wall, eaves trough, roof, chimney, trees, etc.); and PA1 The "built in" innovative capability of a self supporting display, the rigid hanger pipes performing the additional function of the support posts (for securing to the ground etc).